TBITW Chapter 32

Chapter 32 – Too Late

Main Story 2, Chapter 6, Part 2

Novel Title: 獣はかくして交わる (The Beasts Intertwine This Way)

Author：沙野 風結子 (Fuyuko Sano)

Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 鹿倉 陣也 (Kagura Jinya -MC) & ゼロ (Zero -ML)

*Please read at novels.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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“As if anyone would want to drink otter blood.”

Even though he wondered what on earth they were talking about, the silly conversation eased his nausea just a little.

Since the day he was made a ‘pet’, Kagura had been frequently summoned by Kiriyama. Usually, it was after hours, but sometimes it happened during the day. Of course, he ignored it when he was in the middle of investigations or meetings, but he responded just enough not to completely sour Kiriyama’s mood.

The meetings were always held at the Kudan Prosecutor’s Office.

Since the Zero’s people were probably still tailing Kagura, that location was convenient. No one could tell who he was meeting or what he was doing inside the office. They probably assumed it was all for work.

Every time he met Kiriyama, he was bitten and sucked on the neck.

Given that they were inside a government building, at least he wasn’t forced into anything more than that, which was a relief.

Surprisingly, Kiriyama actually assigned Kagura work related to the Eastern Alliance. It wasn’t directly linked to the Eastern Alliance itself, but, like with the Rong Lan case, he provided information needed to crack down on foreign crime organisations connected to the alliance.

As a result, in a broader sense, they’d managed to close in on the Eastern Alliance’s perimeter.

―――What is this guy thinking?

Today, too, he’d been called to the Kudan office after work and was sitting in the usual conference room, letting Kiriyama suck on his neck as he pondered.

To understand Kiriyama’s intentions, he’d need to get closer to him.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t know why Kiriyama was so fixated on Enwu or how much he knew.

As Kiriyama finished his bite and began to pull away, Kagura grabbed the back of his head with one hand and pushed his lips back to his neck.

To the silent demand from Kagura, Kiriyama’s shoulders trembled slightly before he began sucking on his skin again.

As Kiriyama pressed down on him, Kagura pretended to resist, which seemed to please Kiriyama, letting himself be pushed down.

Although he internally smirked at how quickly Kiriyama took the bait, the moment he felt something hard pressed against his thigh, the chill intensified.

He’d known that Kiriyama was aroused by this marking act, but this was the first time he’d been confronted with Kiriyama’s arousal so clearly.

―――To get closer, do I need to do more than this?

Just the thought of it made him nauseous.

He’d had countless sexual encounters with Zero, but those were more like periodic reaffirmations of a mutual risk-sharing pact.

Kiriyama, however, treated it as marking his pet and then throwing scraps as a reward. Because of that, even just being bitten on the neck came with an unpleasant feeling of having sold himself every single time.

Kagura Jinya was, to Kiriyama, as different a species as humans are to animals.

Just as Kiriyama finally stopped sucking… or so it seemed, he started licking Kagura’s neck with a slimy touch. His tongue flicked against the earlobe, then slipped into the ear canal. Perhaps because his tongue was thin, it reached quite deep.

“…Ugh.”

With Kiriyama violating his ear, his whole body braced in rejection.

He gripped the edge of the long table tightly, resisting the urge to strike.

Lewd, wet sounds flooded his eardrums. Kiriyama’s arousal pressed against his abdomen while his tongue smeared his skin with slick movements. A sweet, musky scent wafted off Kiriyama, filling his nostrils. He finally reached his limit.

Just as he was about to land a punch on Kiriyama’s temple, the tongue slipped out of his ear. Kiriyama dodged the blow, grabbing his wrist and pinning him down instead.

As he glared at Kiriyama with barely concealed disgust and rage, Kiriyama licked his thin lips with a slow, deliberate gesture.

“It’s no fun otherwise.”

It was clear he was enjoying the perverse pleasure of Kagura’s inner struggle.

There’s nothing more troublesome than a sadist who isn’t satisfied with a masochist. Whatever satisfied Kiriyama was bound to be criminal in nature.

―――…And yet, he never gets caught.

Even those who arrange partners for Kiriyama―――like the Eastern Alliance, for instance―――get off without prosecution, as the charges are always dropped by the prosecutor.

“Fine. A beloved pet deserves a fine meal.”

Still leaning over Kagura, Kiriyama pulled out his smartphone and made a reservation call.

Kagura worried he was being taken somewhere to be tortured, but the destination turned out to be one of Kiriyama’s favourite traditional restaurants. Surprisingly, he was released without being taken into a private back room.

Since then, Kiriyama had started taking Kagura out for meals and drinks.

A car would arrive to pick up Kagura from wherever he was, and sometimes Kiriyama himself would already be in the car, making it clear to Sanae that they were associating.

Sanae, who still despised Kiriyama, would remark, “So, Kagura-san has become a vampire too, I see.”

It was evident that Kiriyama viewed Kagura as a sexual object, though it wasn’t a simple case of taking a special liking to him.

When they were out together, Kiriyama often made calls. Although Kagura could only hear Kiriyama’s side of the conversation, he could infer the type of people Kiriyama was talking to and the nature of the discussions. Most calls seemed work-related, and there was never a hint of a family call.

Occasionally, he would catch calls that seemed linked to the Eastern Alliance.

Kiriyama didn’t even bother to hide these conversations from Kagura. He would occasionally mention words like ‘Toono’ and ‘Enwu’.

―――…What is he scheming?

There had to be something hidden behind his actions, but Kagura couldn’t quite grasp it.

As his frustration mounted, that day too, Kiriyama sucked on his neck. It happened inside the car parked in front of Kagura’s apartment.

Since he was only going home afterward, Kagura stepped out of the car with his loosened tie and open shirt collar.

In the elevator, he scratched the spot on his neck where he’d been sucked on, and his fingers came away with traces of Kiriyama’s saliva.

“Damn it…”

He wanted to wash his hands immediately. No―――he wanted to dive into the shower, rinse his body thoroughly, and flush Kiriyama’s scent from his nose as well.

Even though Kiriyama only went as far as sucking on his neck and sticking his tongue in his ear, Kagura always left their encounters feeling as though his mind and body had been thoroughly defiled.

Running down the corridor on the sixth floor, he jammed his key into the lock and turned it. But he scowled as he realised the door was unlocked. He would never have left without locking it.

As he was contemplating his next move, the door suddenly opened. He instinctively jumped back, bracing himself, and widened his eyes.

“…Why are you here?”

A hand grabbed his upper arm and dragged him inside.

Without even giving him a chance to take off his shoes, he was pulled into the living room, where he finally managed to shake off the man’s grip.

“How did you get in here?”

Without answering the question, Zero questioned him in a growling voice.

“Why are you associating with Kiriyama?”

Given that they’d been seen together outside of the office recently, it was likely the Grey Shadows, what Zero’s people are called, had long since reported this to Zero.

“I told you he’s not someone you can handle.”

“I can fight in ways you can’t.”

Looking up defiantly, Kagura replied, only for Zero to grab him by the collar of his shirt, forcefully yanking it open.

Exposed along Kagura’s neck were reddish bite marks and numerous scratches.

“Is this what you call fighting?”

“…”

“Come to think of it, you threw your body at me just as easily.”

Only after his right hand throbbed did Kagura realise he’d punched Zero squarely in the face.

An uncontrollable surge of anger rose up from deep within.

Zero wasn’t entirely wrong. Yes, Kagura had used his body to keep Zero on a leash.

―――But it was completely different this time.

He couldn’t stand that Zero didn’t understand that.

“Don’t compare the two!”

Zero turned back to face him, a thin line of blood smeared at the corner of his mouth.

Between his brows was a deep furrow, like a gash carved with a knife, and from his eyes a fury seemed ready to erupt.

Zero leaned close to Kagura’s ear and whispered in a coarse voice.

“It’s already too late.”

Then he turned on his heel and left the room.

Left alone, Kagura’s breathing shook.

What did he mean by ‘too late’?

The reason he hadn’t immediately asked was because he didn’t want to know the answer.

And even without hearing it, he understood―――Zero had discarded him.

“Haa…”

He scratched at his neck, unable to stop, even as blood smeared his fingers and the collar of his shirt.

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*Translator’s Note: I think ‘too late’ means it’s too late because Zero had already fallen in love. -K

Next update: 2025.10.05

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